Construction
by MBSAVfan1
Summary: He said they were all once lost souls, that he rescued them and gave them a place in the world. But he didn't say WHEN. A bunch of one shots (most likely) of how the pirates on the crew came to be part of it.
1. Raz

A small kangaroo joey hurriedly hopped across the grass, dodging pieces of ice and swerving around the tall trees, laughing. "Can't catch me, can't catch me!" she called over her shoulder.

Another, this time much older, in her early teens, was about five feet behind her. "Oh yeah? Wouldn't be so sure lil' sis!" they both spoke with a strong Australian accent.

"Don't call me that!" she yelled back. "I am not little!" she paused for a moment, her teasing, cheerful tone returning. "And you can't catch me!"

This was right before she was snatched off the ground. She looked up at the smirking face of her older sister. "You were saying?"

"Hey! Kayla! Put me down!"

"No way sis, I think 'm just gonna hold onto ya'."

She squirmed. "Let go'a me!"

"Ok, if you insist." She placed her on a nearby, low tree branch.

"Hey! Not like this!"

She shrugged innocently and gave her a smug grin. "You said put you down. Ya didn't say _where_." She turned and began to hop away. "Be back at the cave by noon. We're having fruit salad!"

"W-Wait, Kayla!" she exclaimed. "Don't leave me here! Please!"

"You said to put you down. So I did." Fearful tears began to gather in the five year olds golden eyes.

"K-Kayla!" she called to her retreating older sister. Unknown to her, there was a smug, teasing grin on her face. She may have loved her younger sister, and she did, more than anything, but, like any big sister, enjoyed teasing and picking on her, often trying to scare her. Usually she didn't succeed, her little sister, despite being only five years old, feared practically nothing. But if there was one thing her younger sibling hated, it was being alone.

"P-Please." A drop of water trickled down her cheek, and her long ears drooped as her sister rounded the path's corner and disappeared from sight. "Help me. I don't wanna be alone." She whimpered and put her head in her hands, sobbing quietly.

Her sister froze and pressed her back up against the tree. She hadn't meant to make her cry! Just to frighten her a little bit. Peeking out at the small joey still sitting on the tree branch, she silently approached. "Hey, hey, shh…" she picked her up for a hug. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry about it." The joey spoke, putting a paw on her shoulder. Then, she held out her hand and made a half a heart shape. Her sister did the same, and they joined them, making a heart. A very unproportionally sized heart, but still.

"Sisters are forever, and so is their love." They said together, hugging again.

The little one suddenly leapt out of her arms. "Ha! Sucker! Soft moments work every time on you!" meaning: all she had to do was put on the 'sweet little girl' act, they'd have a small little moment, and then she'd get away with something. Whether it be out of trouble, or just getting another game of tag. She had meant the whole 'sisters and heart' thing though. They did it at least once a day.

Her eyes widened, before she narrowed her crystal blue eyes and shook her head, crossing her arms, but she couldn't help but smile. Her sister was cunning and crafty, and highly intelligent for someone her age. She could outsmart almost anyone if she was given time to figure out how.

The little purple one turned and hopped away. "Still can't catch me!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. "I'm not chasing you again!" she called. "I've still gotta make lunch." She turned to leave, expecting the little one to follow, until… the earth suddenly jerked violently, nearly sending the fourteen year old pinkish-red (bust mostly pink) kangaroo off her feet.

"Well that was-" a shrill scream echoed through the air. Her eyes got wide. She knew that scream, despite having rarely heard it. Her sister was in trouble.

Turning and hopping after her, she found her at the edge of the sea cliffs near their home, desperately hanging onto the edge. "Raz!"

Her fearful eyes landed on her big sister, and current guardian, their parents having died a few months ago. "K-Kayla!" she yelled. "Help me!"

"I'm coming, hold on!"

"I'm trying!" her grip involuntarily began to loosen and the earth jolted violently once more. "Hurry! I'm slipping!"

She was less than a foot away when the earth she was clinging to gave way, and she fell, screaming. "Oh my-" she couldn't finish and rushed to the edge. Where was she? Her sister suddenly appeared, struggling in the waves. She would've come in after her, but that wouldn't have done her much good. Kangaroo's were meant for speed and strength, but they weren't swimmers. They'd both die.

Glancing around desperately, she threw a generous sized piece of wood down into the water, telling her to grab on.

She did, and thankfully, it stayed afloat. Unfortunately, the current quickly began to pull it out. "Kayla!" she called to her quickly disappearing sister.

"Raz! No!" tears stung her eyes as she watched her sister drift away. She clamped her hands over her mouth. Her sister… she'd never see her again.

But… but at least she was alive, right? She supposed she'd rather have her sister alive and never get to see her again then watch her drown. And… someone might find her and help her, right? Keep her safe. She knew it was a narrow hope, but it was better than nothing. "I love you." She whispered as she took one last look at her sister. The only family she had left since their parents died.

Somehow, the little one heard it, seeming to have been carried on the wind straight to her. "I love you too." she murmured. She made the heart shape again, Kayla doing the same, and they repeated their little chant "Sisters are forever, and so is their love."

After they were separated from one another's gaze, Kayla sat at the edge of the sea cliffs and watched the water with a solemn expression, her mind completely blank, numb form the pain her heart was pumping, the devastation coursing through her veins.

The little purple kangaroo stared in what she thought was the direction of her old home. She couldn't be sure, everything looked the same now that she was farther out at sea. Water stung her eyes, but she wiped the tears away. She refused to cry. She was scared, she'd admit that, after all, how could she _not_ be? But she wouldn't cry.

Crying was for babies, for the weak, and it certainly wouldn't help the situation if she had an emotional breakdown. She wouldn't cry, it would only make her lonely situation worse.

They sat in the same positions for hours, just watching the waves that had separated them. Until finally, Kayla slowly rose and turned away, water slipping down her cheeks as she slowly hopped home, back to the cave home she had once shared with her sister.

Raz laid down and stared up at the stars. She looked at all the different pictures, constellations, she believed, that her sister had shown her. They gave her comfort, she knew that was the one thing they could still share besides their love. The stars. They were always there, no matter what. Sometimes, on cloudy nights, you couldn't see them, but they were always there.

She watched them for about an hour before finally closing her eyes, sleep enveloping her. She dreamed of being back with her sister.

She drifted for days, hungry and scared and cold and alone. Until, on the fifth day, when she was sure she couldn't survive anymore without food, while she was napping, her small wooden raft smacked against something.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She slowly glanced up, eyes growing wide at the huge slab of ice before her. "Wow…" she breathed in amazement. She'd never seen something so big, and definitely not ice. She came from the southern, tropical part of the world known as Australia, there was no ice or snow there, just sun and very, _very_ hot weather.

Someone appeared at the top, a mean looking ape with dirty gray and black fur, smiling a smile full of yellow teeth. She swallowed nervously, he didn't look too friendly, but she knew better than to judge someone from what they looked like. He could've been very nice, and she was happy to see someone after five days of lonesome travel. "Well, well, well." He said to himself. "What do we have here?" he paused for a moment. "Ahoy down there!" he called out.

She waved shyly back, unsure, giving him a soft, slightly hesitant, smile. "'Ello mate." She greeted. "G t'see anotha' face, it is."

He studied her carefully. She looked strong and healthy, besides the fact that she was lacking nutritional nourishment. But that could easily be fixed; he had plenty of food aboard his ship. "Would y' like to come aboard?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, yes please!" hoisting her up with some sort of contraption… thing, she was welcomed on the ship. She glanced around, it was a nice side, lots of room to move around, but there was one thing that bothered her. The weapons, thousands of them. Some in piles, some imbedded in the ice and lined up neatly, daggers, spears, swords, everything. She thought it was cool, an incredible sight, but she couldn't help but feel cautious. They looked (and probably _were_) sharp and deadly.

The ape studied her again. Still young, and a kangaroo, a species known to grow large and strong and fast, she could make a useful ally in the future, if trained right. Her pouch might also come in handy for storage, he figured. She stared back with those intense, intelligent golden eyes of hers. He could tell she was scared and shaken up, but she hid it well. She had an aura of great confidence for one so young, and he could tell she'd grow up to be a brave warrior of taught right.

You see, he was a pirate, in search of a crew. And although the idea of tolerating a young child wasn't exactly appealing, he knew the sacrifice would pay off. If he trained her correctly, to be obedient and respectful and violent, she could make a good pirate. Her young age could be used as an advantage. If he started teaching her the ways of the pirates early, she would grow into one naturally, if that was the environment she lived in. She would probably have some habits that would need breaking from her past life, but it was nothing he couldn't do.

"So kid." He began. "How'd you like to stay here?"

Her golden pools widened considerably. She glanced around, the place still gave her an uneasy feeling, but he was being friendly, and she didn't want to seem rude. And she didn't have any better options. She nodded slightly.

He chuckled. "Good."

She glanced around again. At her new home and thought '_Maybe it won't be so bad._'


	2. Squint

**Hey guys, new chapter. Yay! All about Squint this time.**

A small brown rabbit strolled through the forest, her crystal blue eyes bright and happy as she hummed merrily. There was a small tug on her arm, and she looked down at her six year old son, who she was leading by the paw. "Mama?"

"Yes Squint?"

"Are we almost there?" he looked up at her with big pleading, brown eyes. "My feet hurt."

"Oh…" she swept him off the ground, the four inch tall child squirming.

"Hey! Pumme down! I don' wanna be carried!" he wriggled around, but the attempt was fruitless. She was much bigger than him, almost a full six inches. Eventually he sighed and settled down, knowing she wasn't letting go. She cradled him gently, her beloved one and only child gazing up at her with adoring eyes. He loved her more than anything, he was always either being held by her, on her lap at home, holding her paw, or within a five inch radius of her, always. She was his whole world, he didn't trust anyone else. After all, how could he?

He was constantly picked on by the others kids his age for his differences. Most rabbits were shy and timid and preferred solitude, keeping their thoughts to himself. But not him. He was above and beyond talkative, words always flying a mile a minute. He preferred things adventurous and heart rushing and adrenaline pumping, something that was strongly looked down upon.

He tended to be rambunctious, impulsive and unpredictable, and incredibly hot tempered. It got him in trouble often; he had absolutely no tolerance for anyone giving him a hard time. He couldn't stand it. So what if he liked danger? So what if he enjoyed activities that could very easily result in him becoming seriously injured and/or dead?

He may have been adventure loving and, at times, slightly crazed, but he _did_ still have feelings, feelings that were easily wounded. Every hurtful word they ever said, every time they called him crazy and a menace to everyone, it harmed him emotionally. Behind his tough front, the one everyone saw, the one that wasn't afraid of anything and no amount of hateful words could decrease his confidence, the words stung like poison in his heart and acid in his soul.

The only comfort he ever found was in his unfortunately widowed mother, she was the only one who knew how upset it made him, how much it pierced his secretly sensitive, fragile heart.

She'd often find him moping around in the forest near their home, in the trees he liked to climb, holding back tears. She'd call him down and bring him inside, let him poor out his sorrows to her. She'd tell him it didn't matter, that he shouldn't care; as long as they had each other, they'd be just fine.

It angered her that people picked on her precious, precious son, but there was nothing she could do. She'd asked them politely to stop, and she'd gone to their parents, but it never helped. He tended to stay at home when he wasn't out 'trying to get himself killed', as the locals called it. That earned him the reputation of a mama's boy, which didn't help the constant harassment. But he had less than no tolerance for anyone speaking badly or even remotely un-positively of his mother, so everyone always left her out of it. They'd learned the hard way that if they didn't… well, the results weren't pretty. And they really had nothing against her Julie herself, just her son.

Nobody ever called her that though. Her local nickname was just Sweets, named for her big heart and gentle nature. Being a doctor, she adored helping people in any and every way she could. Despite this, her son always came first. Always. People could call it selfish all they wanted, but her baby came first. Nothing else mattered more than him, not to her. She loved nothing more. Absolutely nothing.

"We're here!" she announced merrily. His eyes lit up and he started squirming again, this time wanting down for an entirely different reason. As soon as his feet hit the dirt, eh tore across the earth and dove straight into the warm pool of water before him. That was another strange thing about him. He loved the water. It was one of his favorite pass times. Although he didn't know how to swim, he loved splashing around in the shallows of the hot springs, while his mother often tried and vain to get him to sit still so she could give him a bath.

"Oh mom…" he complained as she picked him up again, crossing his arms. "I don't need a bath. I just had one yesterday morning!"

"And then spent the rest of the day playing. You need one. Now hold still; you'll get water in your eyes." He knew hot water in the eyes stung, so he shut them tight and sat still.

He sighed irritably. "Fine."

"Good." After he was decently clean, she let him go play, terrorizing the poor freshwater minnows and occasional tadpole that dwelled in the large (to them) pool of steaming water.

After a few hours of Squint wreaking havoc of the pool dwellers and his only parent relaxing in the warm water, the splashing stopped, and she looked over at her child. He was curled up on a pile of seaweed on the shore, eyes half closed. She smiled and rose, shaking off before approaching him. "Looks like someone's getting sleepy." She said softly as he yawned, picking him up and wrapping him up in a leaf towel, drying him off. "Come on baby, it's your nap time."

"But mama." He protested weakly, poorly stifling another yawn. "I'm not tired."

"Of course not baby, of course not." She said, smiling softly as the child snuggled into her chest. Why wouldn't everyone else see the part of him that she saw? The sweet side, the kind, gentle side that cared deeply about that little family he had left. He'd barely known his father for two weeks before he died of dehydration during a severe drought, the scarce water they ever found went straight to his wife and child.

She tried to get him to drink, but he refused. Every last drop went to his family, they mattered more. He wouldn't risk even a single dew drop, not when it could possibly be the last morsel of water they'd ever see. His beloved Julie and Squint needed it more; the baby still nursed at the time, and if his mother became dehydrated, she wouldn't be able to produce milk to feed their son. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened, knowing he'd had the last of the water that could have helped their baby.

By the time they arrived at the small, hand dug cave they lived in, he was fast asleep. She laid him down on his small bed of leaves, kissing his forehead before she covering him with a leaf blanket. Stroking his cheek for a moment, she turned to go, only to have him gab her paw. She turned back. He was staring up at her through sleepy, half closed eyes. "Night mom."

"Goodnight baby. I love you."

He smiled sleepily. "Love you more."

"Love you most." It was a little game they'd made up, going back and forth.

"Love you mostest."

"I love you more than mostest."

"Love you more than more than mostest."

She smiled and shook her head at his playful ways. "I still love you more." She bent down and kissed the top of his head again, smoothing his long ears away from his face. "Sweet dreams Squint."

"Sweet dreams mom…" and his eyes slipped closed. "N' I still love you most…"

Her heart softened even further. But little did she know, it would be the last words she ever heard from him. During the night, while Julie slept, her sensitive ears twitched, her blue eyes slowly opening. She sat up and looked around; what was that sound?

Rising, she silently tiptoed outside, looking around. The night was dark, but her eyes soon adjusted, but all she could see was shadows and vague shapes. The moonlight spilled in gentle beams down around her home.

She glanced around again, seeing nothing out of the- was that bush _moving_? Sure enough, the 'bush' was slowly rising off the ground, and two glowing orbs appeared. "Oh no…" she backed up slightly, recognizing the vicious canine growl. A coyote. They were well known rabbit hunters.

Swallowing thickly, her eyes darted to their little den door, sealed with a woven mat of grass and leaves to look like a natural patch of vegetation. She took another step back, and the carnivorous canine took a large step forward. Her eyes went back to her home door, knowing there was no escape. Even if she could get back, it would do no good. It would only dig into the hill until it caught her and Squint and- oh no! Her baby, he was still in there! The hunter probably just assumed he was smelling her scent, not more than one. She closed sorrowfully, silently pleading her son's forgiveness for what she was about to do.

She turned and ran, tearing away from the small clearing as fast as she could. The coyote gave a growl and followed. Thanks to her small size, she managed to stay ahead for a little while, weaving in and out of trees, no real destination in mind. Just away from her sleeping son, who would hopefully always remain oblivious to what was about to happen that night. She knew she could only delay the sure result of the chase, but the important thing was keeping alive for as long possible. She needed to get it as far away from her child as she could.

Panting as she swerved around a tree, she could hear the quick skid of paws as it changed direction to follow her. If she could just lead it to the marsh and lead it into the quicksand…

Another howl cut through the air, and she gasped. It was a bit of a distance away, but it would definitely arrive soon. She couldn't evade two at once; coyotes were tricky and sneaky, they'd figure out a way to confuse her, playing with her before having her for a midnight snack.

That was all she was to them. A snack. They wouldn't care that she was a mother, a widowed one at that, with a small child that needed her. They wouldn't care, they'd only laugh cruelly and maybe take her captive, hunt down her child, eat him in front of her, and _then_ take her life. It wasn't fair, but she was willing to make the sacrifice if it meant saving her son.

She tripped over something, she didn't see what, probably a root or a rock, and fell to the ground. She tried to get back up, but her ankle buckled underneath her. She'd treated enough patients to know, it was sprained at best, broken at worst.

She tried in vain to keep moving, but something caught her, pressing against her back. She was turned over and met by the cold, black eyes of the coyote. A deep chuckle emerged from his throat. "Hello there." he greeted darkly. "How'd you like to come over… for dinner?"

"Yeah." another voice agreed, this time a smidge higher, possibly a female. "I'm thinking stew." She circled them, watching her hungrily. "_Rabbit_ stew."

"Isn't it a bit _late_ for you puppies to be out of your den?" she asked sharply. She figured she might as well be bold now, having been timid her whole life. She'd always had a secret temper and was always thinking up witty, sarcastic remarks, but she kept them to herself. She figured now would be the best time to finally give in to that wild side of her, considering she didn't have much time left.

The one who had her pinned chuckled while the other growled. "You got quite a sense of humor for a rabbit, ya know that?" he asked, still laughing slightly. "Too bad we're gonna eat you; we actually might get along."

"I doubt that." She retorted. "I don't hang out with _mutt's_." this time it was the female who stifled a laugh, while the male snarled and bared his fangs.

"Watch your mouth missy or I'll-"

"Or you'll _what_?" she demanded teasingly. "You'll what? You're already going to kill me, can't do much worse than that." She flicked his muzzle, considering he was getting a little close. "Now can you?" He huffed indignantly and opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "And hwo're you gonna do that with _those_ teeth? They're filthy; ya take one bite of me and they'll break. When was the last time you brushed?"

By now he was boiling mad. He was being out-insulted by a _girl_. Not to mention his prey. The female coyote was collapsed on the ground laughing. "Oh so you think this funny?"

"That's why I'm laughing!"

"That's it!" he pounced on her. While the two dogs were rolling around wrestling, she quietly got up and tried to limp away. However, after five feet, the female's eyes landed on her.

"She's getting away!" and she was pounced on at neck breaking speed. And this time, they took no time in attacking her. Her pained screams pierced the night.

-The Next Morning-

Squint stretched and yawned, sitting up. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked his tired brown orbs opened. "Morning mo- mom?!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed. Where was she? All he found was an empty bed on the other side of the room. He felt the leaves, they were eerily cold. She hadn't been in her bed in a long time, five or six hours, at least. Now he was worried. She always said that if, when she went to gather breakfast and she was late coming back, he'd be able to touch her bed and feel the body heat still contained within it, and he'd know she'd be back soon. But… but then why was it cold?

A cool autumn breeze blew through the door, and he shivered. Their home seemed chillier without her around. Stepping outside, he was surprised to find some kind of tracks he didn't recognize. They were almost shaped like upside down hearts with five circle surrounding the pointy end. And the others… they were Julie's.

Why did it look like she was being chased? Were they playing a midnight game of tag? As ridiculous as that sounded, he knew grown ups did strange, confusing things, so he wouldn't have been all that surprised.

He decided to follow them, with nothing better to do. It was a Saturday, so he didn't have his lessons about survival with the other local children.

He picked a plum as he strolled, breakfast sounded nice.

The tracks went all over the place, around trees and under low branches, through fields of tall grass… until they finally stopped on the wet, mushy banks of the ocean. About five yards from the waters edge, he found a set of footprints, the same heart shaped ones. They were sunk in a little deeper, like they had been running. What he found at the end confused him.

A puddle of strange red liquid. Frowning curiously, he approached cautiously. Was it strawberry juice? He sniffed it, instantly pulling back and huffing in disgust. Whatever it was, it definitely _wasn't_ strawberry juice. Or any kind of juice, for that matter. At least, not that he'd ever seen.

He followed the large tracks up a hill, thinking they might know where his mother was. But unfortunately, the cliff wasn't stable, it had a severe drop off into the ocean. "Hello?" he called. "Is anyone here?"

His voice just echoed around him. "I could really-" _crack_! The ground underneath him shuddered, and a crack appeared in the ground in front of him. "Ok… that was-" it gave way, and he plummeted, screaming as he fell into the frigid waters. It was a miracle he didn't freeze to death the moment he touched it.

He floated to the surface a moment after, coughing and choking on water. "M-Mama!" he called. "Mommy! Help me!" his head was shoved under, and he gagged on another salty mouthful. "Mom! Help!"

He glanced around fearfully, the salty waves stinging his eyes, looking for any means of flotation. As if some paranormal being were listening, a small piece of ice arrived. Clambering onto it, he collapsed on his side and clasped his arms, shivering, hoping he didn't get hypothermia… whatever that was. His mother had always said if he got too cold he would. Or frostbite. Both sounded pretty bad.

He drifted around for days, and even after he dried, he still felt cold. His heart felt heavy, like a rock. His head spun constantly with questions. What had happened to his only parents. What was _going_ to happen to him?

He laid there, curled up in a miserable ball for days. He lost count after five, the hunger was really getting to him. And he knew better than to drink the ocean water, the salt in it made it poisonous.

The endless days, alone in his thoughts with no one to talk to, made his mind turn bitter. Hadn't his mother really loved him, had she abandoned him? Why had she left? Why did everyone there hate him? Without his mother to talk to, his anger rose further and further each day, welling up inside him with no form of release. It made him jittery and twitchy, constantly moving around on his little ice raft, which was maybe a foot long. Plenty big for a four inch tall bunny, but tiny compared to other creatures.

On the seventh or eighth day, while he was mentally ranting about those accursed bullies, wishing them ill fortune and pain, his teeny ice floe smacked against something.

Another creature looked over the side, a long piece of well sanded wood, capped with a gleaming spiral shell, in paw. She looked about his age, maybe a smidge (meaning six months at the most) older… or younger.

Her long ears hung down against the back of her head. She had violet fur, with the occasional, barely noticeable horizontal gray stripe. She had a strange lift of skin near her waistline, looking similarly placed to those things opossums had… a pouch! That's what it was.

"Oi, uh, Cap'n?" she called over her shoulder, revealing a heavily accented voice, never removing her deep golden eyes from his intense brown ones. "Ya migh' wanna take a looka' this."

Another animal, this time much bigger than the girl, dropped down from the trees above them. He chuckled to himself when he saw him. "And just what do we have here? Little bunny rabbit?" He frowned, offended, but bit his tongue. He turned to the creature. "Raz, are you _trying_ to waste my time?" Squint could tell he was teasing, but the girl obviously could not. She immediately started stammering incomprehensively, looking flustered.

She shrunk back slightly. "N-No Captain, not at all." She stuttered. "I thought you migh' wanna- I jus'… I mean- Ah'm just gonna shuddup now." She closed her mouth and folded her paws against her stomach area, head bowed almost obediently. She was obviously intimidated by him. But not Squint. With all those negative thoughts that had been rampaging through his mind for nearly a week, and were still on the run, nothing could scare him. At least, not at the moment.

**Sorry for the kind of drop off ending, but I wasn't sure how to do the confrontation scene. And besides, it was getting a little (ok, alot) long. 3,888 words, not counting the Author's Notes. Hey, I need advice. I already have plots for Silas and Flynn, but I'm in need of others. So PM as to how the other could end up stranded.**

**Oh, and P.S. Do you think I made Squint seem too soft? I mean, whether he's gonna grow up into a pirate or not, all kids start out sweet and innocent though! See ya!**


	3. Gupta

**Hey everyone, new chapter! Hope you like. I don't own Ice Age.**

A mother badger stared at her eldest daughters face. "Are you sure you're going to be ok here?" she asked.

"Don't worry mom." The sixteen year old, Anjali, replied. "We'll be fine."

"Are you _sure_? Because I can bring the baby with if you think he'll be too much-"

"Oh mom, relax!" eleven years old Krishna exclaimed. She glanced down at the bundle of leaves she was holding fondly. "He's an absolute angel! We'll be fine taking care of him for the day."

"Well…" she was reluctant to leave her two and a half week old son with his fourteen older sisters. It's not that she didn't trust them, but she was never comfortable leaving her children alone. And the child, still very young, still nursed. Should he get hungry, they'd have nothing to feed him. He got very cranky if he didn't get a meal shortly after demanded, and she didn't know if they'd be able to handle it.

"Alright." She reached out and took the baby from the second youngest. "Now you be good for your big sisters now, alright?" he just babbled at her and reached one tiny paw up to touch her face. "Good, that's a good boy." She cooed, handing him to Anjali. "Oh, just so you know, his rattle's in the living room."

"Ok mom, bye." They all waved and sent her cheery farewells as she walked away from their burrow entrance. She was simply going to find some more cotton from the cotton trees; with winter coming and a newborn baby in the burrow, they needed to keep him warm, or he'd get hypothermia, or frostbite, or something even worse. She'd also promised to pick up some honeycomb if she could find it.

The trip was relatively short, it would take her maybe three or four hours to get to the cotton tree grove and back. But still, newborn cubs required lots of attention, and four hours was a lot without experience…

"Relax Joyeeta." She chided herself as she walked away. "The girls can handle him…" but her conscience wasn't so sure.

Back at burrow, the thirteen other females surrounded Anjali, talking to their baby brother. "Oh isn't he just the cutest thing?!" Dzoita cooed.

"I know!" Nalini agreed, tickling under his chin. "All this time, nothing but sisters, and now suddenly we've got a _baby brother_." To fourteen sisters who never thought they'd have anything but females in their family, being suddenly blessed with a little brother was a very big deal.

Anjali hugged the bundle of leaves close to her chest and kissed the tiny forehead. "I promise I won't ever let anything happen to you." She nuzzled him for a moment. "I promise we'll always keep you safe. _I promise_." She'd made that promise the second he was first laid in her arms only minutes after his birth, delighted when their mother announced that it wasn't in fact her fourteenth sister, but her first brother.

"I second that!"

"I third that!"

"Me too!"

They'd all told him that; they'd never let anything hurt them and do everything in their power to keep him safe and happy, everyday. They kept talking to him adoringly for another five minutes before a cold almost-winter wind blew by, and the baby suddenly let out a tiny sneeze, making them all stop. "Bless you little one." Tsaru cooed.

He sniffed and giggled up at her. "C'mon little one." Anjali spoke, heading for their burrow entrance. "Let's get you inside before you catch a cold."

Once back inside the main room of their underground burrow, Anjali took the child off to the side, sitting near the back wall and slowly rocking him, humming to him, putting him in a sleepy trance. This went on for about fifteen minutes, until the child's warm brown eyes slipped closed, sucking his thumb. She kissed his head. "Goodnight Gupta." She wrapped him in another two or three blankets and put him in his cradle, which was a large wooden oval shaped bowl supported by two rock pillars and held steady with some vines, which allowed it some motion but assured that it would not fall. The still slightly pink badger cub had no idea what danger he was in as he was laid down to rest.

The girls went to the opposite side of the room and while he napped, doing one another's nails with rough, two inch rocks and multi colored berry juices.

A sudden tremor rippled through the home. The ground shook. Dust and dirt rained from the ceiling. Stone furniture trembled. The cradle rocked hazardously and threatened to tip over. "What in the world…" Mallika whispered.

The ground jerked again, much harder, and they all sprang up, sharing wide eyed glances. They dashed to the cradle and the eldest grabbed the baby, who was miraculously still asleep. Their underground home swayed and shook, things falling from hand dug dirt shelves.

The pair of sleepy brown eyes opened slowly and the baby whimpered, scared. "Oh shh, no, it's ok." Anjali tried to shush him before he began to full out cry. "You're big sissy's here, don't worry. We'll protect you."

They ran for the exit, only to find with horror that it had collapsed. Or at least, it was covered by pounds and pounds of rubble. The ground gave another angry rumble and the ceiling shuddered. Oh no…

Large chunks of dirt and rocks came sailing down, and the sisters shared scared glances. They knew the room would collapse in no time if this horrible earthquake continued. And they knew what they had to do to keep their promise.

Gathering near the entryway (…or what was left of it), they gently laid their brother on the ground and surrounded him carefully with leaves and cotton and anything else soft and cushy that might protect him. They formed a protective dome, leaning over the child, just before the room collapsed, all trying not to scream, shielding the child and praying he'd be alright.

When Joyeeta felt the earth quake, she immediately stuffed the collected cotton in her little woven basket and ran all the way home.

She gasped, horrified, as what she saw. The earth had thankfully stopped trembling, so it was easy to access the damage. It wasn't nearly as bad as she feared, but still awful. Rocks and dirt covered their entryway. She set the basket down and began to dig, calling out to her children.

Fortunately, the rocks only covered the outer entrance and she managed to make it indoors. What she found broke her heart. The entire burrow had collapsed; it was a miracle the tunnel hadn't. But that would mean her children… "Anjali! Mallika! Nalini! Tsaru!" she swallowed thickly as tears came to her eyes. "Rekha? Krishna? Bijoya?" she glanced around once more. "Gupta?"

Oh no… not all of them! Not all fifteen children- they were all so young! Her daughters were all such great young women, so loving and kind and gentle- they couldn't be gone! And her son! Oh what was she to say? The child was barely half a month old and his life was already stolen! What kind of a mother was she, allowing that to happen?

Grief and regret flooded her heart and she slid down against the tunnel wall, expression one of devastated disbelief and she began to cry silently, placing her face in her paws. Every last one of them… gone. Every child…

Her ears pricked up and her eyes widened with hope. No. No, it couldn't be! …Could it?

She hastily got up and began rummaging through the earth, ears straining. Yes! Yes, she could hear it! It was faint, yes, but it was definitely there. Either that, or the loss had made her lose her mind.

She gasped at what she found. Her fourteen daughters lay around in a circle, all of them bloody, cut, and bruised. But none were breathing.

But there was still that one little sound…

"Gupta!" she cried with utter disbelief, reaching down and snatching her newest baby off the ground. "Oh Gupta, you're alive!" she held him out in front of her and examined him. A few scrapes on his little pinkish face, but otherwise seemed untouched. Ultimately shaken, seeing as he was crying hysterically, but alive and unhurt, nonetheless.

As she hugged him to her chest lovingly, protectively, she realized what her daughters had done. They truly meant it when they said they'd do anything to protect him. And she would do the same.

"Shh…" she soothed as he sobbed into her shoulder. "Shh, it's ok, you're ok. Mommy's here now." She kissed the top of his head. "And mommy promises; she'll never let anything or any_one_ ever hurt you. I promise."

She sighed sadly and kissed her fingers before pressing them to Iraira's, her youngest daughter only nine years old, forehead, doing the same to the others, going from youngest to oldest. "Goodbye girls." She spoke solemnly, willing herself not to cry. "You were excellent big sisters. Sleep well, my daughters." And she turned and left, searching for a new home for her to raise her only son.

-Seven Years Later-

Gupta stood at the entrance of their cave home and sighed sadly. He wished he could play with the other children, but they were all scared of him. Ever since people had heard of that earthquake, and how he'd been the only one that lived and his sisters all died, everyone was terrified of him.

And his ultimately strange markings didn't help. He had, instead of regular stripes, a strange pattern that resembled a _skull_, of all things, with two lines criss crossing behind it. After everyone saw those peculiar markings and heard his story about how he survived that deadly earthquake, many, especially the superstitious, had taken to calling him 'Devil Child'.

"Come my dear." The gentle voice of his mother spoke from behind him. "You need to rest. Back to bed." He'd grown up a very weak, sickly child, spending much of his time unwell and in bed; apparently, breathing in all that dirt and debris might have seriously damaged his lungs and seemed to have permanently lodged themselves in his body, constantly making him ill. He seemed to be constantly catching colds and other common illnesses too. He was seldom well enough to even be out of his bed; he relished being able to stand by the door and breathe the fresh air. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gone outside.

Some people called his staying inside an excuse. They said it was because something evil possessed him and made him perform dark magic, whatever that was. Whenever something bad happened, he was immediately blamed. He didn't understand it; he'd never done anything wrong. He minded his mother and rested when he was told. He ate all his food at mealtimes and said prayers at night. He was a very good child. So why did they call him a devil? It hurt, badly, but he did his best to ignore it. Still, he couldn't help but wonder about his strange back markings. Perhaps they meant something… no! He was a normal badger, just with an unusual pattern, that was all.

…Right?

He sighed as his mother laid him down again and felt his cheeks. "You don't feel feverish anymore." She mused. "Will you be alright if I run to get some more food?" she probably meant meat to boil into a broth, he figured. That was the main perk of being an omnivore; if there was no vegetation around, they could always resort to meat, or vice versa. They never went hungry or had to scrounge for food like some herbivores. Or even some carnivores.

"Sure mommy." She kissed his forehead.

"Ok. Now you be good and stay in bed. I'll be right back. Alright?"

"Yes mommy." He was a very obedient child. She went to leave. "W-Wait!" he called, suddenly feeling afraid. "Mommy… can I come too?"

"Oh no honey, you need to rest."

"But I'm not sleepy." He reasoned, sitting up.

"Still." She eased him back into laying down and covered him up. "You need to rest. You won't get better if you don't."

"I _never_ get better." He grumbled. "Remember?"

"Don't take that tone with me, mister." She warned sternly.

He sighed, but still couldn't shake the feeling of dread creeping upon him. "Yes mommy." He said politely. "I'm sorry." He looked guilty, almost ready to cry. He was a rather sensitive child sometimes.

"Oh honey, its ok." She sat on the bed of leaves beside him and patted his paw. "Mommy's not mad. But you've got to stay here. Ok?"

"Oh… alright." He agreed reluctantly.

"Good." She kissed his forehead one more time. "I love you baby."

"Love you too mommy."

She got up to leave. "Bye honey."

He waved. "Bye bye." And she was gone, leaving her son alone in the cave, who was now practically trembling with fear. Something was wrong; so very, _very_ wrong. If only he could place what…

He shifted and tried to get comfortable. His bed didn't seem right. Perhaps it was just the chilly autumn day… or maybe some of the cotton used for his pillow had been discarded in the wind. There had been a fair amount of it that day.

He turned over and looked at the cave wall. It was decorated with drawings made from charcoal and berry juices, he loved to draw. It was one of the few pastimes he had when ill. His mother always brought him new colors of paints, and little toys and trinkets whenever she were lucky enough to find some.

She also taught him in music. She'd crafted him a little guitar, and tiny drums. And sometimes, if he had trouble sleeping, she'd play her flute for him. He wished to learn as well, but she said it wouldn't be good for his weak lungs and would take too much effort to learn; she didn't want him straining himself.

He reached under his pillow and brought something out. It wasn't much, just a rather large acorn on a stick, filled with pebbles. It had been his baby rattle; he loved it still to this day. It had been hand crafted by his sisters, and if he squinted, he could see their names etched into the top in teeny tiny writing. Anjali, Dzoita, Nalini, Tsaru, Mallika, Rekha, Ondzoli, Laboni, Charu, Jayashri, Patralika, Bijoya, Krishna, and Iraira.

To think all fourteen of his big sisters died protecting him, it almost made him believe the 'Devil Child' statement. After all, what kind of little brother gets their sisters killed, completely accidental and by teir choice or not?

He sighed and put it back where it belonged and stared a while longer at the illustrations, before his eyes closed.

He awoke about an hour before sunset. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Mom?" he looked around; where was she? "Mommy?" this was strange, she still wasn't back. He would know if she'd returned; he was a very light sleeper and the slightest sound could rouse him. So where was she? "Mama?" he called again.

He slowly got out of bed, swaying for a moment. He must've had a slight fever, he decided, because he was dizzy. Fevers tended to do that. He went to their cave entrance, staring outside. "Mom?" she never stayed out after dark, and the sun was slowly creeping towards the horizon. It would be night soon.

He glanced down at the ground. He hadn't touched the soil in so long, and he'd admit, the idea of going out after five-six years of isolation frightened him. But if it meant finding his mother…

He took a slowly step outside. The ground was cold, making him wince, shivers travelling through his thin body. He rubbed his arms as he slowly walked outside, he'd seen his mother off to find food many times before, and headed in the direction of the beach.

"Mom?" he called quietly, frightened by all the stares. Of course, he couldn't see their owners, they all ran and hid at the sight of him. He sighed sadly and bowed his head. He was harmless, he hated having everyone so scared. He wanted a friend to be with, despite never even leaving his cave home. But still, having someone to talk to and play with when he was at least partially well would've been nice.

He sighed again. "I wish my big sisters were here." He mumbled sadly to himself. "Maybe _they'd_ play with me." Joyeeta often told him of the times they'd spend playing with him, keeping him entertained and make him laugh as a baby. They must have loved him, he figured, or they wouldn't have given their lives to save his.

Plus, if they were there, it might help him find his mother. He kept searching well until dark, and he finally found her.

He instantly wished he hadn't. He bit back a scream and clamped both paws over his mouth. His mother lay near the forests edge, the foliage smoking and burning around her. Black smoke billowed up into the air. A forest fire! Of all the things…

"You!" a new voice shrieked. He turned. There was the old woman that hated him so much, Hatra (it was actually _in the name_ that she was hateful!), standing there. "You did this! You cursed child- you killed your own mother!"

"N-No!" he stammered. "I didn't- I wouldn't- I mean…" he was so confused. How could he start such a massive fire?! And everyone knew he spent more the 98% of his time in bed, and 100% of it indoors! The only he was out was to look for his mother and have her come home.

"Lies! First your father, then you're sisters, now her!" she jeered. He backed away, trembling. Why was she accusing him of such things? Why did he hate him so? "Don't you run away from me, Devil!"

"But I-"

"Don't even try that spell chanting on me! I know your tricks!"

"_What_ tricks?" just backing away so quickly was taking a fair amount of energy.

"Don't try it!" she screamed. "You cursed thing- I told your mother to be rid of you! I told her, I told them all that you'd be the death of someone! And look what you've done!"

"But I didn't do it!" he sobbed, beginning to cry. "Why would I?! I love her!"

"Oh yes?" she demanded. "Then _why_ did you _kill_ her?!"

"I di-"

"Murderer!"

He stumbled and fell. He didn't even realize he was in the cold water of the ocean until it was too late. "Killer! You wretched child! Look what you've! You've killed an innocent woman!" he suddenly found himself up to his neck, with her looming over him. "You're older sisters were right." She said coldly. "We _should_ have gotten rid of you."

He gasped. That was ridiculous! His sisters- they loved him, right? Of course! She was just making this up. She was lying! She had to be. "Go Sea Devil." She pushed him back. '_Sea Devil_…' he wondered at the back of his mind. "Go back to where you belong. With _them_." And everything went black.

Gupta woke up to sun shining on his face. He was wet, soaking wet. The air was salty and felt moist and strange against him, as he was used to rather dryer things.

He sat up weakly. His head throbbed and his stomach churned, little heart racing. What had happened, he didn't remember…

Hatra! She had hit him and thrown him to the sea. And his mother… oh no! she was gone! Dead! the only family he had left…

He collapsed and turned on his side, curling up, fighting back tears, which brimmed thickly in his eyes. Hatra… she claimed he had killed his father. But his mother said he disappeared before he was born. And his sisters… it wasn't his fault, was it? And his mother…

Why had Hatra blamed him? No doubt she was spreading the rumor to everyone else and they'd surely hate him for it. Well… more than they already did.

He laid there miserably for three days, curled up, crying silently from time to time. He watched the sky most times, watching the sun travel across the sky then disappear beneath the waves. Then the moon would rise and seem to smile down at him, and he subconsciously knew his mother was watching him.

But he didn't want her watching him. He wanted her _with_ him. Right next to him and soothing his feelings of fear.

It was on the third day when the small piece of ice he was resting on bumped against something. He honestly didn't care thought and just kept his back to it.

"Oi! Hey, look a' em weird markins!" a heavily accented voice exclaimed. He winced inwardly. Again with the markings? Really?

"Woah, cool!" another, accented as well, agreed. But the accents were anything but similar. "Hey cap'n, looka this!"

There was slight bang, like something heavy dropped on something else, and an amused chuckle. "Well what's this?" this one had an accent just like the second.

He decided it was high time he turned around. Fear flooded his veins as he took note of the huge iceberg hovering above him. Three animals stood up there, one adult and two children about his age, both kids holding weapons. The first, with purple fur, long ears, and golden eyes held a staff of well sanded wood, capped with a gleaming pinkish orange spiraling shell.

And the other, only about six inches tall, was gray with long ears hanging behind his head, uneven teeth, and two gold rings clipped at the end of his left ear, holding a knife that looked like the skull of a baby swordfish.

The third was definitely the scariest. It stood nearly eleven feet high, with black and gray fur, a long beard, crooked yellowing teeth, and fur on his head that looked like a hat of some sort.

The purple one gestured for the large one to come closer and murmured something to him. "Yes..." he studied him for a moment. "I suppose so…" he gave him a smile that sent a shiver through his body. "How'd ya like ta come aboard?"

He nodded shyly and before he knew what was happening, the girl grabbed something, whirling it above her head for a moment before tossing it down. He was suddenly wrapped tightly in a cocoon of vines and hauled up, hanging upside down. "Hey!" he protested.

She tossed him down rather harshly and slit the vines with her sword. "There ya're mate. Now-" she poked at him experimentally, turning him around and examining his back. "Nice mark'ns ya got there." she observed, while the other child circled him, twirling his knife with a scary amount of experience.

"I dunno Raz." He hopped up on her shouldes, crossing his arms and leaning against her neck. "Looks kinda scrawny t' me."

"Says th' guy tha' weighs n'more than a quarta pound!" she retorted with a smug smirk. He narrowed his eyes but let it drop. "So whas' yer name mate?" the purple one, dubbed 'Raz', asked.

"Gupta." He answered curtly, still unsure about them.

"Gupta, eh? Well thas' diff'rnt. An'ehway, Ah'm Raz. This i' Squint."

He waved slightly. "Hey."

Raz poked at him with her spear once more. "Ye got 'tential, Ah think. Wha bout you?"

They shared a look, and he shrugged. "I guess."

"Good." She picked him up by the ears and flung him away. "Y'll make a dec'nt crew memba." She told him. "And a mighta fine flag."

He swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "Wh-What?"

She cackled. "Haven't ya figa'ed i' out mate?" he slowly shook his head. "Fer good violence- we're on a pirate ship! Ya get it now?"

His eyes widened. "No way…" he breathed in amazement.

She smirked. "Oh yes. Yes way."

Maybe he _did_ like the sound of it.

**Wow, this was long! 4,026 words not counting the Authors Notes! And 14 pages!**


End file.
